Unraveling Captain America's Perspective on Ultron and Bucky's Brainwashes in Captain America: Civil War

The question of Captain America's blame on Tony Stark for creating Ultron if he was brainwashed by the Scarlet Witch but still believes Bucky is innocent for killing Tony's parents, even though Bucky was also brainwashed, is a widely debated topic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This article delves into Captain America's perspective and the complex moral and ethical dilemmas presented in Captain America: Civil War.

The Case of Ultron: Tony Stark's Conscious Choice

Tony Stark (Iron Man) is not brainwashed when he creates Ultron. Falsehoods about mind control and brainwashing do not apply here. Mind control involves altering or taking over a person's mind against their will to make them do something. Brainwashing can mean this or it can mean indoctrination, but in Tony Stark's case, he was simply shown a very upsetting vision of his worst fear, which did not alter or control his mind or body.

Everything Tony did as a result of his vision was 100% of his own free will and his own volition. He was not under mind control when he took the prototype of Ultron and the Mind Stone from Strucker's bunker. In fact, Tony knew what the Mind Stone could do. He had seen it being used on Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and Eric Selvig in The Avengers. This might be why he hid what he was doing from the rest of the team: they would have been totally against him tinkering with a powerful and potentially dangerous supernatural artefact.

Captain America's View on Ultron

Captain America (Steve Rogers) holds Tony Stark accountable for creating Ultron despite the fact that Ultron was influenced by the Scarlet Witch's manipulation. Steve believes that Tony's decision to create Ultron was reckless and stemmed from his fear of a future threat. In Steve's view, Tony had the responsibility to foresee the potential consequences of creating an artificial intelligence with such power.

The Case of Bucky: The Impact of Brainwashing

With Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, the situation is entirely different. Bucky was being mind-controlled. His mind was literally taken over by his handlers and he was induced into a hypnotic state by his trigger words in which he only knew how to obey orders. He also had no memory of who he was or anything else, so he was totally at their mercy. There's even evidence from later movies that HYDRA may have actually modified parts of his brain to suppress his free will and decision-making abilities. See Black Widow.

Bucky had no agency, no autonomy, and didn't even understand the concept of choice. The moment he even tried to have an independent thought or disobeyed orders, they "put his brain back in a blender".

Captain America's Perspective on Bucky

In the case of Bucky Barnes, Captain America understands that Bucky was subjected to extreme brainwashing and manipulation by HYDRA. This loss of autonomy means that Bucky's actions, including the assassination of Tony's parents, were not truly his own. Steve believes Bucky is a victim of circumstances beyond his control.

Summary of Captain America's Judgment

The key difference in Captain America's judgment lies in the concepts of agency and accountability. He views Ultron as a product of Tony's conscious choice and a failure to consider potential consequences, while he sees Bucky as a victim of manipulation who cannot be held accountable for actions taken under duress. This reflects Captain America's overarching themes of friendship, loyalty, and the complexities of morality in the face of trauma and manipulation.

Thus, the conflict between Captain America and Tony Stark arises from their differing perspectives on responsibility and agency. Captain America prioritizes loyalty and the possibility of redemption, whereas Tony's actions, even if influenced, are held to a higher standard of accountability.